[Bristol-Birds] Bristol CBC Results for 2008

  • From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 00:22:47 -0500

Twenty-one birders attended the compilations Tuesday night for three
Christmas Bird Counts sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club -- Bristol,
Mountain City/Shady Valley, Kingsport.  It was held in the lodge at
Steele Creek Park.

Compiler Richard Lewis will soon report the official numbers for the
Bristol Count.  Online reports for Kingsport (compiler Bill Grigsby) and
Mountain City/Shady Valley (compiler Rob Biller) will be posted soon.

Those attending the compilation were:  Bill Grigsby, John Moyle, Jennifer 
Kennedy,
Rack Cross, Rick Knight, Dianne Draper, April Mattes, Don Holt, Carolyn Coffey, 
Michele Sparks, Richard Lewis, Wallace Coffey, Chris O'Bryan, Charlie Parker, 
Ellen Parker, Tom McNeil, Roy Knispel, Larry McDaniel, Ron Carrico, Rob Biller 
and Janice Martin.

The Bristol Christmas Bird Count, the region's oldest count first conducted in 
1931,
was held Sunday, 28 Dec 2008.  

Twenty-two (22) observers in 6 parties found 83 species which is average for 
the past
10 years.  The average for the past 10 years is 82.9.  The average number of 
species
for the previous 20 years is 77.8.  The all-time high was 91 species in 2004 
which is 
the record high count for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

The best birds and interesting observations were:

Brown-headed Nuthatch at Washington County Park on the shore of South Holston
Lake in Virginia just north of Musick's Campground.  It was heard by Rick 
Knight who
was birding with Ellen Parker.

Sandhill Crane (3).  Going to roost at Musick's Campground on South Holston 
Lake.
Three birds were seen going to roost there on the 2000 count -- the only other 
time
the species has been recorded on the count.  Seen this year by Rick Knight and 
Ellen
Parker.

A House Wren found by Rack Cross is a notable bird..

Ruddy Duck and Bald Eagles were nice finds.

The Black-crowned Night Heron was not found on the count at
Clear Creek Lake.  It was not found there last year.  It had been there the 
previous
five or six years.  However, it was seen the day before the count in 2007.

Canada Geese (654) were up from 338 last year when the species continued their
decline in the count circle.  The population peaked at 882 bird in 2001 
following 
a steady 20 year increase after having been introduced to the area in the late 
1970's.  Birds first showed up with a population liftoff in 1980 and doubled on 
the Bristol count from 2000 to 2001.  It  had quickly diminished about 66 
percent.

Likewise, Mallards were up across the count circle with 510 birds.  This is 
dramatically lower than the 2000 count when the population exploded and 
doubled in one year to a total of 1,349 birds.  The Mallard population then 
dropped back to 312 in 2002. This year's count is well above the 10 year average
for the species as well as the 20 year average.  We are not sure if the 
peak represented a large influx of migrant Mallards wintering here in 2000 or 
if something more related to the trend of the Canada Goose was taking place
in the count circle.
   

Three (3) Eared Grebe marked the ninth year the species has been found 
on the count, including its first appearance in 1996. 

Of interest is the Bufflehead wintering population which grew quickly in the 
early 1990's with the construction of the South Holston Weir Dam.  By 1998 we 
were enjoying about 300 birds per count but that number had plunged about 50% 
by 2004 & 2005.  Numbers rebounded to near normal last year but were down
considerably to 104 this year.

Meanwhile Hooded Mergansers have enjoyed a great deal of prosperity at 
Middlebrook Lake and Clear Creek Lake in Bristol and had decline until last
year but had a nice rebound this count year. In 2001 to 2004 we enjoyed 
record years at about 300 birds but that had dropped significantly to about 
77 birds.  The count was back up this year with 229 birds.  The birds often 
move back and forth between the two impoundments within the 
winter season .  

A Merlin seen at Clear Creek Lake by the party of Coffey, 
Andy Jones, Michele Sparks, Chris O'Bryan, Charlie Parker 
and Carolyn Coffey was a nice find.  Jones made a number
 of photos of the bird.  This falcon was seen yearly for four years
between 2000 and 2003 but had not been seen for about 5 years. 
The photo shown here was taken of the Clear Creek Merlin 
seen on this year's Bristol CBC.  It was taken by Andy Jones. 

A total of 1150 Ring-billed Gulls was a nice count.  Bonaparte's Gull and 
Herring
Gull made significant showings.

Eastern Towhee was within one of the previous record high count.

Pine Siskins (177) was the highest total in 20 years.  The record number was 
409 
in the invasion year of 1989.

American Goldfinch hit a record high of 430, much more than the previous high
of 292 in 2000.

The total individuals was 10,082 and is about the 10 year average.

Canada Goose 654
Mute Swan 1 (not counted in species total)
Gadwall 24
American Wigeon 6
Mallard 510
Northern Pintail 3
Redhead 2
Ring-necked Duck 45
Bufflehead 104
Hooded Merganser 229
Ruddy Duck 1
Ruffed Grouse 1
Wild Turkey 44
Common Loon 4
Pied-billed Grebe 59
Eared Grebe 3
Great Blue Heron 28
Black Vulture 105
Turkey Vulture 84
Bald Eagle 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 9
American Kestrel 18
Merlin 1 (several photos)
American Coot 49
Sandhill Crane 3
Killdeer 2
Bonaparte's Gull 7
Ring-billed Gull 1150
Herring Gull 5
Rock Pigeon 395
Mourning Dove 573
Eastern Screech Owl 8
Great Horned Owl 4
Barred Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 16
Red-bellied Woodpecker 34
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 8
Downy Woodpecker 39
Hairy Woodpecker 11
Northern Flicker 37
Pileated Woodpecker 14
Eastern Phoebe 8
Loggerhead Shrike 1
Blue Jay 210
American Crow 750
Common Raven  2
Carolina Chickadee 142
Tufted Titmouse 108
Red-breasted Nuthatch 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 40
Brown-headed Nuthatch 1(new to count and region)
Brown Creeper 5
Carolina Wren 138
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 8
Golden-crowned Kinglet 28
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7
Eastern Bluebird 131
Hermit Thrush 16
American Robin 73
Northern Mockingbird 128
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 1935
Cedar Waxwing 312
Yellow-rumped Warbler 56
Eastern Towhee 56
Chipping Sparrow 9
Field Sparrow 51
Fox Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 205
Swamp Sparrow 18
White-throated Sparrow 268
White-crowned Sparrow 29
Dark-eyed Junco 104
Northern Cardinal 221
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Eastern Meadowlark 9
Purple Finch 7
House Finch 95 (low number)
Pine Siskin 177
American Goldfinch 430 (record high for count)
House Sparrow 44

The species totals for each party were:

59 Larry McDaniel party
57 Rick Knight party
56 Rob Biller party
53 Wallace Coffey party
51 Rack Cross party
48 Richard Lewis party.

Footnotes: 

Richard Lewis compiled the count for his 28th consecutive year.  Wallace Coffey
participated in the count for his 50th consecutive year.

Let's go birding.....

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN

JPEG image

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